30. Hike Timpanogos at Midnight

30. Hike Timp at midnight (for the sunrise) 

One of the more infamous activities for BYU students to complete in Provo. I heard about this adventure years before I made it to BYU. The mountain towers over Provo and surrounding cities and is home to some of the most endeared scenery in the Wasatch front. It is covered in snow 75% of the year, and always appears beautifully intimidating. The backside of the mountain is home to the Sundance Resort.

I attempted a day hike in June, but there was still up to 6 feet of snow in places on the trail. So we hiked Squaw Peak instead, and got these pictures of Timp from the trail.

We attempted to summit Timp, but only made it about a mile. 

We made our successful attempt a few months later in September. We started at 3 AM at the Alpine Grove Trailhead, and made it about halfway before the sun rose. It was beautiful- even 4,000 feet from the summit. We made a number of mistakes that made our hike almost miserable. We left way too late, didn't bring enough food or clothing, and didn't sleep at all the night before. These mistakes all made for the hardest roughly 12 mile round trip hike of my life with over 6,000 feet of elevation gain going up. We summited around 10 AM the following morning, in a hard wind and a temperature of 15 degrees. 

Although we were sore for days and the view was mostly covered by smoke from the almost-constant wildfires, this hike was so worth it. Looking up from the valley and knowing that I've stood at the point of the mountain is such an addicting feeling that I know I will be back soon although I termed this hike "Timpanevergoingback". It was a great experience, and it challenged me more than any other mountain I've climbed. 

The Alpine Grove Trail is absolutely stunning. There are a half dozen waterfalls on the way up, and once you hit the saddle you enter a gorgeous meadow with a lake. If you are looking for adventure, slide down the glacier instead of hiking back down. You won't regret it.